The Descent of Valoran
by Cantus Bellax
Summary: Attacks against the League of Legends are suddenly appearing. With no answers or clues, Valoran is slowly disintegrating and its political powers are panicking. In order to combat this unknown force, Caitlyn was enlisted to solve this seemingly impossible case. However, it may prove to be too much, even for her.


**Rating: T+**

**Warnings: Swearing, violence, character death, possible OOC, poor attempts at humor.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own League of Legends. If I did, I'd kill Ahri. Most annoying lane opponent ever.**

* * *

Assassinations can seem like small dents in a land where animosity blankets every square inch of it, especially in a land where the individual city-states seem to constantly find itty bitty pointless details to argue about. In this time, plans and actions of brash criminality are commonplace, with people barely batting an eyelid at them. But even so, no one could ignore the time when the Institute of War had been abruptly bombed, killing most of the summoners residing there.

It soon became a game of "Guess Who It Was" among the city-states. Noxus didn't outright say it, but they implied that Ionia was who bombed it. Ionia was less subtle and launched its own scathing remarks, stating that Noxus was more likely to have orchestrated the entire event due to their criminal reputation. The finger pointing and baseless accusations between the city-states slowed investigation down to a sluggish pace. Even after a month, Ionia and Noxus continued to bicker like immature adults, with Demacia struggling to pacify both the city-states.

As a result, no one was prepared to deal with the sudden onslaught of events.

The sly vixen. The beautiful half-human. The nine-tailed fox. Whatever her label was, Ahri had consistently proven to be a gorgeous, yet powerful opponent. She perfectly fit the label of beautiful, but dangerous. That's why it came as a genuine surprise to everyone when she was found, chest cavity ripped open and tails skinned of their luscious, silky fur. Since she was found near the Serpentine River, Demacia took over the investigation and made it their objective to find the culprit. However, there was no evidence or clues whatsoever at the crime scene. The coroner couldn't find substantial evidence that could aid the investigation. The most Demacia could do was hand Ahri's mutilated body over to the remaining summoners so she could receive a proper burial.

Ahri's murder made shockwaves ripple throughout the continent. All the men seemed to weep for the first time, while the women were ambivalent as to whether they should mourn or hold a quiet celebration. The remaining summoners and a few champions held a swift ceremony in Ahri's honor, yet at the same time, warned the other legendary champions to be on their guard, as the attacks seemed to focus on the people associated with the League of Legends.

However, that warning would prove ineffective.

Later that week, Queen Ashe did not appear in the throne room where she was required to preside over a debate between two countrymen. King Tryndamere allegedly found her in her bed with a slit throat. Taking advantage of the queen's sudden death, Sejuani took the initiative and claimed that Freljord was now under her rule, citing that she was next in line to inherit the crown. In an attempt to control a chaotic situation, the high officials of Freljord made Tryndamere invite Sejuani to the palace in order to discuss who the rightful ruler actually was. What started as a formal political debate ended with the two tearing apart the palace in an effort to win the crown with brute force. The icy land is now embroiled in a civil war and is threatening to divide into two lands, one for the barbarian king and the other for the boar rider.

In a few days, Tristana died when an explosion occurred in the Megling headquarters, destroying the building and damaging several others in the surrounding area. Officials publicly reported that it was a combination of faulty wiring and an undetected gas leak. However, they were actually trying to sweep the entire disaster under the carpet and prevent fear from flooding the quaint city. In reality, Ziggs, the explosives expert, reported that he believed it was an extraordinarily powerful bomb that was nestled next to the main gas tanks under the building. In addition to Tristana, a number of invaluable Megling Commmandos were instantly killed in the blast. Bandle City's private sector is currently investigating to find the criminal behind the explosion, while avoiding the questions from other city-states.

A week afterwards, Ezreal was reported missing near Bandle City. In his short stay beforehand, he had a brief and friendly talk with Teemo, stating that he would be exploring the nearby Voodoo Lands for a couple days. After ten days, the yordles became nervous and sent a search party, including Teemo, to go look for him. The scout master reported finding Ezreal in the middle of a large crater, his blood painting the walls a deep crimson. There were signs of magic bolts melting the rocks in the surrounding area and deep scratches along the rocks, suggesting that Ezreal put up a hell of a fight before he kicked the bucket. The incident was also kept quiet from the public and a member of Corki's battalion shipped the explorer's body back to Piltover.

At the sudden number of these deaths, Irelia, the captain of the guard of Ionia, gave the Kinkou Order special instructions to halt all current projects and to focus on finding the cause behind these deaths in a discrete manner. After all, it would do no good if people found out that the situation was dire enough for Ionia to utilize one of their elite forces. In fact, the last time the public found out, they ended up flipping their shit, pounding on the doors of government buildings while demanding information. The Kinkou Order, comprising of Shen, Akali, and Kennen, accepted the mission without hesitation, knowing full well the potential dangers they would be facing, and the potential consequences that could occur if they dared to fail. Even so, Irelia could not have put the fates of the champions and innocents in better hands. Despite being a private group, the Kinkou Order was renown throughout Runeterra for its ability to not only accomplish its goals without hesitation and without mercy, but to succeed in them with virtually no casualties whatsoever. These traits have allowed the Kinkou Order to thrive for over many generations and are the defining core of the Order.

Quite simply, with borrowed words from Fizz, "The Order's super cool! They kick ass all the time! And Akali's really hot..." Little did he know, he would be eating his words later.

Soraka and Sona were supposed to give their final blessings to the enigmatic ninjas, a tradition that supposedly supplies good luck. However, when they reached the main room of the Kinkou Order, they found the three bodies of the former ninjas. The Eye of Twilight was stabbed three times in his chest, two attacks were directly over a major vein or artery, but didn't penetrate his armor. The third assault, however, appeared to have broken through his chest plate and pierced his heart. The Fist of Shadow was found with a few bruises on her arms and on her legs with sharp lacerations on her wrists. However, her main cause of death appeared to be decapitation. This was supported by the fact that her body and her head were on opposite sides of the room. Finally, the Heart of the Tempest seemed to have been stabbed multiple times in his chest and head. It appears that at one point, an attack pierced an artery, since crimson blood splatters were sprayed in random patterns on the wall behind his body. The furniture in the room was covered with slashes from bladed weapons and the walls had charred marks from Kennen's electricity along with a few shuriken embedded in them. However, despite its valiant attempt, the Kinkou Order was ultimately killed by the very thing it was supposed to go after.

Demacia was going ballistics trying to find the perpetrator. Ionia was intensely grieving for its loss of three very skilled and prized warriors. Noxus was paranoid as to when it was their turn, constantly accusing the most random people of carrying out the heinous acts. The entirety of Valoran was in a state of mourning for the champion they knew were deceased.

Finally, with considerable effort, the three major city-states forcibly pushed aside their differences and decided to enlist the help of who they considered a professional in her department.

While she was heavily reluctant to leave the seemingly calm solitude of her city, Caitlyn decided it was for the best of Valoran if she cracked the case. This way, everyone can sleep easily at night. And hey, she's doing what she does best, so how hard can it be?

* * *

Thanks to a quick lift from Corki, Caitlyn managed to get a ride directly to the Ionian Palace, where she was met by Irelia. The Piltovian could feel the sadness and grief that emanated from the Will of Blades, and she hated it. Of course, being a sheriff, Caitlyn has seen a whole lot of different shit during her career. She has had experience in every area her work called for. Except for the emotions. Of course Caitlyn is human, so she's always feeling the pressure to catch the bad guy. At times, her own emotions had threatened to show and she had to keep herself in check, so that she wouldn't appear weak in people's eyes. The problem is that because she appeared so emotionally powerful, people would always go to her to grieve over a loved one. Due to the pains of her own internal turmoil, Caitlyn could barely handle the emotional baggage that seemed to be dumped onto her with every job. And as a sheriff, it was also an unspoken rule to never let her own emotions show during any job, no matter how personal it became.

Although now, it appears that she might break that unspoken rule.

Looking at the pictures of her deceased teammates that Irelia gave her, Caitlyn was suddenly inundated with an urge to weep, her own tears threatening to spill and create mascara trails on her cheeks. While she never made it a goal to befriend everyone in the League of Legends, she had learned to depend on them and count on their help in certain situations. When the stress of her own job got to her, Caitlyn would grow appreciative of the chance to be on a team with others who depended on and helped her.

Now here she was looking at their dead bodies.

As she swallowed away the lump that was forming in her throat, Caitlyn continued to study the pictures she held in her hands as she was led to a private room deep in Ionia's palace. Getting absorbed in her attempt to find any clues, Caitlyn ended up ignoring Irelia's strained attempts to discuss the murder of the Kinkou Order, and barely registered the fact that Sona had suddenly appeared and was floating silently beside her, plucking the strings of her instrument absentmindedly.

As they continued down the hall, Irelia continued to try to get Caitlyn to talk, while Sona floated away to visit Soraka. Despite hemming and hawing away at the pictures, Caitlyn soon realized that photos would not yield their secrets just yet. She then decided to scrutinize them more closely later in private.

"And Shen was stabbed with an object that was extremely long and thin. The forensics team also reported that it's made of metal, but according to my experts, there's no object they know of that fits that description."

"Excuse me, but what did you just say?" Caitlyn suddenly questioned. It appears that she chose an opportune moment to return back to the real world.

Irelia looked very surprised to see that Caitlyn was finally involved in the conversation, but took advantage of it, "I said that Shen was killed by an object that's long, thin, and made of metal. Nobody in my circle knows anything like that. Do you?"

Caitlyn's bright red lips turned into a frown. She raised her left hand and began to twirl her hair around her fingers. It's a nervous habit. "It sounds very familiar, but I just can't seem to put my finger on it."

At this point, they arrived in front of a large oak door which boasted the crest of the royal family of Ionia. Caitlyn eyed the door impressively, turning to comment on it to Sona, only to find that the Maven of the Strings was no longer there. Caitlyn whirled around in surprise to face Irelia, who boasted an amused look on her face. "When did Sona even leave?"

Irelia gave a soft smile, the corners of her mouth twitching with effort. No doubt, due to recent events, she hadn't had any reasons to laugh or smile. It was beginning to take its toll. "She went to go to the infirmary to help Soraka. There's been a recent influx of sick people coming in. Honestly, I was wondering when you would notice that she wasn't around."

The sheriff gave a small scoff and directed a look of mock outrage at the Hiten specialist. "Well, excuse me. I'm sorry that I become oblivious at times, sweetheart. But I tend make up for it in another way." Caitlyn affirmed that last statement by pulling her hand out of her locks of hair and patting the rifle hanging from her back.

The Captain of the Guard's quivering smile broadened a bit at that confirmation. The Ionian had a subtle far away look in her eyes. Irelia was clearly reminiscing on how the Piltover Sheriff could handle herself on a serious battlefield. However, she then remembered that they had a job to do. Clearing her throat, Irelia raised her hand and suddenly slapped it against the door with a _thwap_ that echoed throughout the hallway.

"You will stay here," Irelia stated in a friendly, but commanding tone. "If you need to leave the palace, you must inform me so I can assign you some guards. I won't have you babysat all the time while you're in here, since you're capable of handling yourself. Anyways, I know you'd hate something like that, but whoever the culprit is, they are proficient enough to take down skilled fighters in their own territory, so please be careful. Valoran can't handle the loss of another beloved champion."

Caitlyn was about to argue vehemently and state that she would never accept a guard. As sheriff, she works alone, with Jayce being the only person who got to accompany her during work. However, the pleading look in Irelia's eyes reminded her that this is a critical time period and that it's not the right moment to spark unnecessary arguments. And besides, a couple of extra guards wouldn't hurt her. She gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile, "Of course. I'll be alright as long as I have my rifle. Now, the day is fading fast and I would like to get settled quickly so I can visit the room where the Kinkou Order was… eliminated."

Saying it like that seemed to reaffirm that they were indeed dead and that they were never going to be around anymore. The sheriff let out a shaky exhale. She could feel the tears slowly being repressed. It would do no good to have the legendary Sheriff of Piltover suddenly weep for victims, even if they were close comrades. To prove that nothing was wrong, Caitlyn gave Irelia a very forced smile.

The Hiten specialist could clearly see that Caitlyn was also having trouble controlling her emotions, but decided not to comment on it. "Go get settled, but you shouldn't go out tonight. As luck would have it, there's a rainstorm coming in tonight. Storm season, you know? And we're completely unprepared for it too; Gaia bless Ionia. It's best if you just stay indoors and look over what information we already have. It's more than likely that you'll find something that we somehow overlooked. You might drown if you're outside later, so just stay inside."

Caitlyn was further displeased that she would not be able to get in an early investigation, but decided that it too was not worth arguing over. After all, it's not like she wants to drown either. "Very well. Is there anything else?"

"Nothing. Thank you for taking the time to come here, Caitlyn. We truly appreciate it. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask." Irelia snapped into a standard Ionian military salute.

The sheriff tipped her purple top hat in the Hiten specialist's direction, "Thank you very much. I'll see you around then."

And with that, Caitlyn disappeared into her room and Irelia left to seek advice and peaceful solitude with Karma. Gaia only knows how much tranquility she'll need now before shit hits the fan.

Caitlyn's room ended up being bright and cheery with the fading light illuminating the patterned carpet. A simple bed with red silk coverings was pushed against a corner. She scoffed at the quill and ink lying on top of the ebony desk that stood in the middle of the room. On top of the desk was a telephone with a note attached haphazardly to the side. "Dial 66 in case of emergency." Caitlyn tore the note off and tossed it into the trash bin. The bookcases that lined the walls were filled with a plethora of different books ranging from cliché love stories to textbooks on biochemistry. Caitlyn gave a small chuckle. Heimerdinger would have a field day if he saw the amount of books in here. One wall was not lined with a bookcase, due to the fact that it had a large window that provided her a nice view of the hustle bustle city. There was a door slightly hidden between two bookcases that was ajar, revealing a luxurious and gleaming bathroom. Surveying the ceiling, Caitlyn saw a modest, but grand chandelier dangling precariously over the desk.

Tossing the pictures onto the desk next to the manila folder that was, no doubt, filled with papers about the murders, the sheriff busted open the window and let the clattering of preparation from the city below destroy the slightly too loud silence. People were crowding the streets, haggling for supplies to prepare for the upcoming storm. There were tell-tale signs in the air. Strong winds were blowing inland and dark clouds looming over the ocean were steadily approaching at a slow pace. Taking a chance to relax a bit, Caitlin closed her eyes and breathed in the salty air, listening to the everyday conversations taking place below her.

"Hey! We're gonna need more of that lumber, ya know."

"That place sells the best food ever. You have to try the curry puffs."

"I swear to Gaia, my wife fed me something bad, man."

"I can't believe you fucking did that! Fuck you, asshole!"

"Seriously. Try the curry puffs. They're amazing."

"Shit. Sorry, but can you pick that up please?"

"She thinks I'm cheating on her! Why would she think that? I haven't been leaving any signs!"

"Oh my god. You were right. These curry puffs are freaking orgasmic."

"So this Noxian sold me this thing called an awl, said they're only used in Noxus. It's probably bad luck. I'll throw it out later."

"This kid came up to me a couple days ago and said, 'Hey miss! Your dress is really pretty.' That completely made my day."

"Heard that purple sheriff from Piltover is here! Wonder if she'll give me an autograph..."

"Did you see this picture of Janna? Oh my Gaia, her legs are perfection..."

"Don't eat those beans, man. Just don't eat them! They may sound good while you're high, but you'll end up shitting liquid."

Caitlyn's eyes snapped open. _It's an awl! It's a freaking awl! Only used exclusively by Noxians! How could I have forgotten!_ Sprinting away from the window, Caitlyn dashed towards the desk, slapping her hands against the smooth surface before snatching up the picture containing Shen's body.

Flipping through her memory files, Caitlyn finally settled on one case many years ago, where it was found that the victim was stabbed in the neck with an awl. The murderer was never arrested, as he was part of an underground mercenary group located deep in the heart of Noxus. The sheriff mentally compared the wound on the victim long ago with the injuries present on Shen's body. It was a perfect match… That is, if her memory was correct.

Even so, Caitlyn twisted her lips like she had suddenly tasted something sour. Just because the weapon turned out to be a Noxian awl doesn't mean the murderer was Noxian. For goodness sake, it hasn't even been completely proven that awls aren't used elsewhere in Valoran! It has, after all, been a while since people have claimed that only Noxians use awls. Sure, now Caitlyn knows that the weapon that was involved in Shen's murder was an awl, but it doesn't account for the other ninja's deaths, especially since decapitation isn't really possible with such an instrument.

The sheriff sank into the plush chair in front of the desk, pondering her next move. Grabbing the manila folder, she slid the sheets of paper onto the desk before looking them over. Briefly flipping through them, Caitlyn concluded that the papers were only coroner reports and brief descriptions of the individual crime scenes. Additionally, there was a short note stating that there would be a meeting with important officials of Ionia, wanting more information. The Piltovian audibly groaned, annoyed with the fact that instead of doing some steady research, she would be surrounded by self-important fools with over inflated egos.

A chilly wind swept in through the open window, causing goosebumps to rise on Caitlyn's shoulders. Shivering slightly, she got up again to close the window with a sharp _clack_, just as the first raindrops began to sparkle down to the ground. The remaining sunlight had long been covered up by the dark overcast and the fabled rainstorm was about to take effect. She watched as the people below her began to scurry like ants, now pushing to get back to the safety of their homes.

Resting her head against the cool glass of the window pane, Caitlyn sighed, contemplating the possible results of the case, worrying over the fates of some other champions, and most of all, silently grieving for her lost comrades. Despite only learning about the case a month ago and being in Ionia for less than a day, Caitlyn could already feel the intense pressure of needing to succeed. This time, it was not only for the innocents of Valoran, it was also for her undeniable desire to discover the truth and to receive closure. Caitlyn lifted her forehead from the glass and stared into the dark mass of clouds, which were now laying their tears all across the island. Balling her hands into fists, the sheriff silently vowed to discover the culprit and was determined to deal justice herself. Hell hath no fury like a pissed off sheriff lady sharpshooter.

* * *

Caitlyn arched her back and stretched her arms above her head. As she predicted, the meeting was about as boring and uneventful as watching paint dry. The entire time, bigwigs kept shouting over each other, claiming that they knew the best course of action to take. Poor Irelia was stuck as mediator and her protests and shouts were constantly ignored. That is, she was completely disregarded, until she swung her blades around in the air and jabbed them into the middle of the table. The officials fell silent as the red blades created resounding and consecutive _thunks _that echoed in everyone's ears. The terrified men merely gaped in awe and fear as the Captain of the Guard laid down strict rules while she raised her blades from the table and twirled them around the air in nonsensical patterns. The sheriff smirked to herself. She had initially thought that Irelia was being too nice to the pompous fools, but it was clear that she could turn serious and dangerous at the switch of a button. And why not admit, she was pleased that those blundering idiots were able to behave like civil monkeys for an hour.

"And what are you smiling about?"

Caitlyn turned around, watching as Irelia and Sona came up to her. "I was merely amused at the sight of grown men cowering in fear because of your flashy demonstration. Bloody hell, I swear one of them was about to piss his pants."

Irelia gave a mocking scoff, "Lies. I bet you were actually impressed with my routine, eh? Admit it."

Not caring about her appearance, the sheriff stuck her tongue out in Irelia's direction, earning herself a playful glare from the Hiten specialist. Caitlyn then turned her attention to Sona. "It's good to see you again. You look lovely." And indeed Sona did. Instead of her traditional blue garb, she was wearing her guqin outfit along with a new set of pearls, courtesy of Lee Sin. The compliment earned the Piltovian a radiant smile and a chord of beautiful music.

The Captain of the Guard quickly stopped the sweet moment. "Yes, yes. Doesn't matter since Sona is gorgeous everyday. Anyways, I just wanted to make sure you get back to your room safely, so I asked Sona to walk you back."

Caitlyn blew a strand of hair away from her face. "Alright. That sounds good." With a wave of her hand, she bid Irelia farewell as Sona floated beside her. "Well then, shall we?"

And so they departed on their short journey. Caitlyn's rifle was lying against her neck and shoulder, a hand on the butt of it in case they were somehow ambushed. The silence between then was not awkward, but comforting. The Maven of the Strings would occasionally puck a few strings, the sweet noise soothing Caitlyn's nerves a bit. The whole trip consisted of Caitlyn's hands twitching with every miniscule movement and Sona's lithe fingers dancing across the strings of her instrument. When they reached the outside of Caitlyn's room, the sheriff tipped her hat in Sona's direction and Sona gave a small bow. With a final flourish of her hands, the maven played a few more notes that seemed to deeply calm Caitlyn. With a final smile and a quick "Thanks", Caitlyn heaved open the heavy door and closed it with a dull _thump._

After a hot bath, Caitlyn came out of the bathroom to notice that someone had placed an assortment of desserts and sweets on her desk while she had been in the bathroom. Plucking a chocolate covered strawberry from the entire display, she looked over the folders and papers that still lay on her desk. She had already gone over every piece of information and the time consuming meeting released absolutely no pertinent info. As Caitlyn nibbled on the chocolate, she had to admit. She was stuck. There were no clues to aid her. She could recite what every report says word for word, but that doesn't really help now does it? As she bit into the bittersweet mess, she decided that she had to take the course of action that annoyed her the most. The most she could do was wait until the culprit messes up and actually leaves something she can use. This would definitely mean the death of another person. Tossing the remains of the strawberry into the trash, Caitlyn balled up her right hand and banged it against the desk, causing papers to jar up into the air before floating smoothly back down. The reason Caitlyn hated waiting was because it meant that she was losing. It meant that she was losing this stupid game that involves people's lives. Losing meant that she had failed in her duty. It absolutely pissed her off to no end, especially since she had silently vowed to discover the truth and let the people gain closure for the death of the Kinkou Order. As the Piltovian rubbed her now throbbing hand, she realized that she had to concede defeat for now. There would be plenty of time later to find the bastard and get sweet conviction. Even so, the waiting game was going to be a bitch for Caitlyn to play.

The fierce winds blew throughout the island, causing the window panes to clatter and shake raucously. Caitlyn could distantly hear the whistle of the gales as the rain pounded fiercely against the rooftop and walls. Caitlyn had the chandelier on a low luminosity setting, the crystals of the light fixture refracting the dull, warm light all across the room. The sharpshooter ended up cleaning the dessert plate of its chocolate covered strawberries, but left the other various sweets sitting there. Deciding to leave the light on in case of emergency, Caitlyn then shimmied into a white nightgown and crawled under the smooth silk covers. Keeping the rifle next to her, the Piltovian descended into a restless sleep, her dreamland filled with unsettling visions of death and pain.

* * *

A sudden crack of thunder nearby made Caitlyn bolt up, the rifle already up and aimed at nothing in particular. Sweat trickled down her cheek as her chest heaved up and down, struggling to take in as much air as it could. Unable to see anything wrong, Caitlyn cautiously lowered her gun, her right hand going over her chest to feel the out of control beating of her heart. Inhaling deep breaths, the sheriff forced herself to calm down after a brief sleep plagued with unrelenting assaults of nightmares and dead bodies. Swiping the sweat away with the back of her hand, Caitlyn swung her legs around off the bed. Wobbling unsteadily a bit, she decided to walk around the room a bit, maybe even grab one of the books to read. Her senses were way too shot to even attempt sleeping now. Rubbing the drowsiness from her eyes, Caitlyn made her way to the desk, already craving to nibble on a bar of dark chocolate to help calm her nerves. As she reached forward, she finally realized that the chocolates were no longer there. Shifting her gaze to the floor, the sheriff saw the platter on the ground with sweets scattered around it. Fear rapidly flooded into Caitlyn's heart as the grip on her rifle tightened imperceptibly. There was no fucking way that thing could have gotten there by itself.

Reaching instead for the phone, the Piltovian vaguely remembered needing to dial 66. However, the minute her hand touched the phone, the light from the chandelier went out and Caitlyn was swiftly bathed in an all consuming darkness. Snatching up the phone, she pressed it against her ear only to hear the silence that confirmed the fact that the power was out. Cursing under her breath, the Piltovian launched herself at the door, disregarding the way she was still dressed, pausing the moment she placed her hand on the knob. She wasn't safe in her room, but it's most likely more dangerous out there, where there were more openings for attacks and ambushes. But still, her room wasn't safe either. To leave or not to leave? Her hand was shaking, causing the rifle to slightly rattle. Taking a deep breath, Caitlyn forced her nerves to remain still. Turning back around, she faced her room that she could no longer see. Fitting her rifle into Piltover Peacemaker mode, the sharpshooter decided that if something happened in her room, she would at least have an escape route back outside.

Time ticked by painfully. Caitlyn stood with her back against the door, rifle aimed at the nothingness occupying her room. She only got brief glimpses whenever the lightning decided to illuminate from the outside. The fierce rain and thunder made it difficult for her to hear anything. Though after a while, her eyes were beginning to adjust to the heavy darkness. However, standing in the dark with her senses strained made Caitlyn paranoid. She was never sure if she actually saw anything or if it was merely her imagination. At one point, she thought there was movement in her peripheral vision, causing her to fire the Piltover Peacemaker at a bunch of innocent books, knocking them off the shelves, the sound of fluttering papers mingling with the pounding rain. Refitting the rifle back into Peacemaker mode, Caitlyn considered dashing out the door for Irelia, but decided that would only be a foolish mistake. As she brought the rifle back up to her shoulder, lighting illuminated the room once again. She gave out a sharp yelp, firing the Peacemaker again into the darkness, hearing it embed itself into some books once more.

Caitlyn was absolutely sure that she didn't imagine the dark silhouette standing in front of the window when the lightning struck. The sheriff pressed her body further against the door, her heart beating out of control. She felt as if she was about to choke on the very air itself. Over the cacophony of rain and thunder, Caitlyn could only hear her shallow breathing that was borderline hyperventilation… except for that sharp clink to her left.

With no time to use another Piltover Peacemaker, Caitlyn only shot her rifle a couple times in that direction. Hearing the bullets collide with wood, she scowled, disappointed that she didn't hit anything. Fearing that things could escalate further, Caitlyn reached behind her and attempted to open the door. The knob stopped abruptly in its turn. Confused, the sharpshooter twisted the knob as far as it could and pushed. The door didn't budge. Biting her bottom lip, Caitlyn grew even more frightened and frustrated. Twisting the knob once again, she threw her entire weight on the door, hoping that it would somehow miraculously open. The damn door wouldn't open. She was stuck in here.

"Shit! Bloody hell!" Caitlyn decided to just shoot out the lock, even if it meant exposing her back to the unknown that was her room. It was a dangerous gamble, but she hoped that she was quick enough to follow through with it. Taking a chance, she turned around and shot three precise bullets into the knob. Prepared to dash out, Caitlyn was taken by surprise when she suddenly felt her head get yanked back by her hair before her forehead was banged against the hard wood of the door.

As the sheriff was pushed to the ground, her rifle was knocked out of her hand with a sharp hit to her fingers and she felt the side of her head get pressed against the floor of her room. As she opened her mouth to gasp, a heavy weight settled itself over her body with a hand pinning her wrists together on the floor. Caitlyn felt blood trickle across her forehead as she struggled to correct her blurry vision. Kicking violently, the sheriff attempted to throw the person off of her, but the attacker stopped every futile attempt and gave a small chuckle. The asshole was enjoying the fight. That little fucker.

"Wha- Who are you!?" Caitlyn managed to get out between heavy gasps. There was a painful throb in her head and her limbs felt tingly without adequate blood circulation. She could distantly make out her trusty rifle on the other side of the room. Well shit.

As she twisted her head back and forth, the goddamn power decided that it would be a convenient time now to turn back on. Caitlyn squinted against the sudden brightness and waited a bit to adjust. As she looked at her attacker, she instantly stilled and tensed. Her gaze worked up the leather clad lithe body to the serpentine green eyes and dangerous smirk, all surrounded by luscious volumes of crimson hair that fell in a curtain around Caitlyn.

Mother. Fucking. Katarina Du Couteau.

Caitlyn's glare focused in on Katarina's threatening look. "You…"

The Noxian scoffed at that, "Yes. Me. Don't you have a better greeting for an old friend?"

At that, the Piltovian renewed her struggles once again, "You fucker. You dare even think we're friends!" Caitlyn's worry only deepened further. If Katarina was here, that meant that Talon would also be here. And Talon's not here right now, so where the fuck is he? Oh Gaia... If he went after Irelia or Sona...

Katarina turned her lips down into a frown, "I'm hurt that you even think that. Were we not even a good team?"

"That doesn't even matter!" The sheriff spat. "You murdered innocent people! They never did anything to you and you just killed them! For no fucking reason…" Caitlyn whispered that part as tears finally began to pour from her eyes. She felt as if she was going crazy. Here she was at the mercy of the son of a bitch who was forcing Valoran to plunge into chaos and despair. She was at the mercy of the one who murdered her friends and close comrades. The fact that she promised to kill the bastard was now a slap in the face for her since true justice seemed so far out of reach. It was dangling right in front of her and she could even get to it. Feeling absolutely ashamed and disgusted with herself, Caitlyn turned her head to the side and glared at the window.

Pinning Caitlyn's wrists with one hand, Katarina used her the other to roughly cup the Piltovian's chin, forcing Caitlyn to look at her. "It's because you are all foolish. You pitiful fools believe for some ridiculous reason that Noxus is always wrong. You think that we have incorrect ideals and a corrupt political system. In your words, you think that we have an evil influence that perverts your so-called innocent people. And that's where your mistake comes in. You thought that we would take it all quietly. Instead, we were orchestrating and planning all your deaths. And look at how splendidly it worked out. You fools didn't even see it coming."

"So that's it then? Just because you have some gripe with the others?" Caitlyn asked, completely shocked that Noxus would react so violently to something so little. Well it's Noxus. What was she even expecting?

"That's it." Katarina reaffirmed. She suddenly dipped her head down next to Caitlyn's ear, smirking when she noticed that the sharpshooter flinched away. "But it would do no good if we had to eliminate everyone you know. I take great pleasure in killing, but it gets so boring after awhile."

Caitlyn flinched again at Katarina's sibilant hiss next to her ear. "So are you going to kill me or not?"

The sheriff scowled as the Noxian cackled lightly. "That's what I'm going to ask you. If you go ahead and represent Piltover right now, you can just tell me that your city-state will automatically concede and side with Noxus. I even have the papers with me right now. How convenient. If you do, you and everyone else in your city-state will live. Don't you want Jayce to live? I know you've had your eye on him for a while. If you don't, you'll die along with your precious Jayce. Then we'll just take Piltover. Simple as that."

A low growl erupted from Caitlyn's throat. "You want me to sacrifice my home so I can live? Go to fucking hell!" The Piltovian screamed as she struggled once again, but Katarina could still hold down her arms with one hand. Without her rifle, the sheriff was truly hopeless.

The Noxian swiftly jabbed Caitlyn in the stomach, making her still her fight instantly. "A pity. I was hoping that at least you would understand. You always were a sensible girl. That's too bad."

Leaning down once more, Katarina put her mouth next to Caitlyn's ear again. Instead of talking though, she stuck out her tongue and slowly licked the shell. Caitlyn shivered ferociously. She wanted nothing more than to cut off her ear right now. Or die. Either one would work. Actually, killing the bitch sounded a lot better. Stopping abruptly, Katarina sat up straight and slapped Caitlyn across her face. She hissed quietly, "Don't worry. We'll get Piltover soon. After all, the world belongs to Noxus!"

With that, Katarina took one of the blades that was dangling off her belt. Before Caitlyn could even scream or protest, the blade was jammed into her chest, fitting perfectly between her ribs. The blade pierced her lung and was jabbed into her heart. Katarina watched as the blood pooled around the body and saw Caitlyn's eyes become thick and dull. With the body under her becoming colder and paler, Katarina slowly stood up and examined her latest handiwork. Another perfect kill with no incriminating evidence once again. If she kept this up, Valoran will be under Noxian rule soon. Hopefully, Swain and Leblanc took out their own respective targets. If Jarvan and Zilean aren't eliminated soon, they'll prove to be a real hitch in their plans.

The door knob clicked and the heavy oak was carefully swung open. Talon stood in the doorway, the blade attached to his gauntlet stained a dark red.

"Mission accomplished." He stated simply. "Irelia, the Will of Blades, has perished. The poison has been set. Master Yi and Udyr should follow tomorrow."

Katarina sent a thumbs up his way. She was so ecstatic that things were going according to plan.

And the people of Valoran continued to sleep, blissfully unaware as Noxus continued to extend its dark tendrils across the continent.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading my first fanfic. I'm not sure if I got the entire layout of the world right. I got all my info from the League of Legends wikia page. This was actually really weird for me to write since I don't even play as Caitlyn. Seriously, dafuq. Anyways, I'd love it if you could review and let me know how I'm doing at all this. Like I said, this is my first fanfic and I'd like to know if I'm doing anything wrong. Thank you!**


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